Automatic hose-valve.



No. 825,570. PATENTED JULY 10,1906. R. DQ'WIRT.

AUTOMATIC HOSEv VALVE.

MPLIUATION FILED JAN. 19, 190s. nnnnwnn JUNE s, 190e.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1-4 yPATENTBD JULY 1'0, 1906.

R. D. WIRT. AUTOMATIC HOSE VALVE. APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 19, 1905. BENBWBD JUNE 8, 1906.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT onirica.

l AUTOMATIC HOSE-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1906.

Application filed January 19,1905. Renewed June 8, 1906. Serial No. 320,793.

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, REUBEN D. WIRT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Automatic Hose-Valve, of which the Jfollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus of that general class employed for iire protection in factories, hotels, olice buildings, and the like wherein. a stand-pipe is provided on each iioor with hose connections that are immediately available for use in case of fire.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an automatic means whereby on the withdrawal of' the hose from its support, usually a reel or rack, the valve connecting the hose with the stand-pipe will be opened and permit the flow of water through the hose.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which the valve is provided with an opening means and is held in closed position by a locking device that is automatically released by a pull on the hose.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an automatic valve-releasing device which may be readily adjusted to close the valve in advance of the return of the hose to the rack or reel.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a valve-releasing device of such nature that a positive operation will be insured without regard to the direction in which strain is exerted on the hose, so that the latter may be led oii" in any direction with the certainty that at the proper time the valve will be fully opened.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacriiicing any of the advantages -of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automatic valveopening device arranged and constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating the same as employed in connection with a hose-reel. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig.

1, illustrating the mechanism on a somewhat larger scale. Fig. 3 is a detailview of the valve -locking link, illustrating the valveclosing lever in section. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view, on an enlarged scale, on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the catchreleasing ring detached. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the ring-supporting arm and spring, the ring being illustrated in section. Fig. 7 illustrates a slight modification of the valvereleasing catch or link.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In mills, hotels, o'liice buildings, and other large structures it is usual to employ a standpipe running from floor to floor and connected to a suitable source of water-supply, and at each iioor is arranged a hose carried by a reel, rack, or other support and provided with a valved connection with the stand-pipe, so that water may be instantly available for use in case of fire at any point.

The resent invention aims to improve mechanism of this class by so arranging the valve that when the hose has been pulled from the rack or reel or other support the valve will be automatically opened.

The water-pipe 10 is shown as provided with a valve 11, the casing of which is coupled in the usual manner to a hose 12, that is shown in the present instance as mounted on a supporting-reel 13, although the support may be of the rack or any other approved type. The valve shown is of a well-known type in which the stem 14 is encircled by a spring 15, normally held under pressure while the valve is in closed position, and as soon as this pressure is relieved the spring will raise the stem and open said valve. The valve-casing is provided with ears or lugs 16, to which is pivoted the lower end of a link 17, connected at its opposite end to a lever 18, which is coupled at a point intermediate of its length to the valve-stem 14. The outer arm of the lever is engaged by a link or catch 19, constructed in accordance with the present invention and designed to hold the lever in its lowest position and the valve closed.

The valve-casing is provided with a vertically-arranged post 20, at the `lower edge of which is Jformed a shoulder 21, having a flat lower face, said shoulder fitting within a transversely-curved recess 23, formed in the lower end of the link 19. The upper end of the link is in the form of a ring 24, that may be placed ICO IIO

the post 2() lis a recess 26 for the reception of the upper portion of a ring 28, that is normally held within the recess by a leaf-spring 29, the upper end of which is secured to the post. The ring is approximately of horseshoe form, and its lower straight bar30 is de-` signed to form a support for a portion of the hose adjacent to the coupling of the latter, while the ring itself is of such diameter as to allow the free passage of the coupling and to avoid any choking of the passage while the hose is in use. At the upper edge of the ring is formed a web 31, which is designed to act as `a cam in freeing the ring from the spring 29 and in forcing the link 19 from engagement with the shoulder 21, it being observed that the ring encircles the lower portion of the link and when released from the spring will fall to a position between the post and the adjacent recessed surface of said link.

It will be observed on reference to Fig. 4 that the lower outer edge of the post 20 is rounded or curved transversely'and thatl the recess 23 in the lower portion of the link is similarly curved, so that the link may swing or turn slightly from side to side, the upper ring 24 of the link being of sufficient diameter to permit a considerable range of movement. This movement of the link is found of value in effecting its positive disengagement from the shoulder 21 of the post when the hose is led off in different directions.

In operation the parts are normally in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, with a short loop of the hose supported by the hori- Zontal bar 30 of the ring 28. When the hose has been removed from its support, either a reel or rack, a sharp pull will cause the ring 28 to free itself from the spring 29 and drop between the post 2() and link 19, and under ordinary conditions this will be found suflicient to detach the lower end of the link from the shoulder 21 and by thus releasing the link 19 permit the spring 15 to open the valve. In order to provide against accidents, however, and render the operation certain, the cam-like fiange 31 of said ring is so arranged that when the ring is in the angular space between the post and link a pull on said ring in any direction will cause the liange to pry the link outward and effect its positive disengagement "from the post, and this will occur no matter what direction the strain may be exerted, owing to the fact that the flange is coexten- Fig. 7.

.sive with the whole of the upper portion of or that wall which engages with the shoulder 21 of the post, so that the ring will fall with the hose and the iiow of water will not be interfered with. In restoring the parts to initial position the ring may be readily slipped along the hose to its proper place and then engaged in the recess 26. The outer end of the lever 18 is then pulled down and the link is placed in position after being inserted through the ring, after which the screw 25 may be turned to insure thefull closing of the valve.

It is obvious that the construction may be altered in a variety of ways-as, for instance,

by pivoting the link in the manner shown in In this case the upper end of the arm20 is extended outward to form a pivotal support for an intermediate portion of a link 19, the lower portion of the link remaining the same as previously described. The upper portion of this link is bifurcated and is provided with a pair of bills. or hooks 40,

which engage with suitable lugs 41, projecting from the sides of the valve-closing lever 18. The operation in this case will be the same. as that previously described, with the exception that the link will be wholly disengagedfrom the lever instead of hanging thereon, as in the construction shown in Fig. 1.

IOD

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an automatically-opened valve, ofa locking means for holding the valve in closed position, and a hose-engaged member normally held from contact with said locking means, and movable'into operative engagement therewith by strain on the hose.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an automatically-opened valve, of a locking means for holding the valve in closed position, and a separate hoseengaging member movable by strain on the hose and serving to release said locking means.

3. In apparatus of the class described, an automatically-opened valve, a valve-lever, means for locking said lever with the valve in closed position, and a separate hose-actin,

ITO

position, and a separate hose-engaging mem- I normally to lock the valve in closed position,

ber movable by stress on the hose into operative engagement with said link.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an automatically-opened valve, of a valve-lever, a link connecting the valve-lever to a iXed point, and a hose-en circling ring normally held from contact with the link and movable into operative engagement therewith by strain on the hose.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an automatically-opened valve, of a valve-lever, a link connecting the lever to a 'fixed point, a link-disengaging ring encircling the hose, and means for supporting the ring independently of said link.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an automatically-opened valve, of a valve-lever, a link forming a connection between the valve-lever and valvecasing, a hose-encircling ring arranged to engage said link, and a yieldable means serving to support the ring independently of the link.

S. In apparatus of the class described, an automatically-opened valve, a link member tending normally to hold the valve in closed position, and a hose-encircling ring movable by stress on the hose into operative engagement with said link.

9. In apparatus of the class described, an automatically-opened valve, a link normally locking the valve in closed position, and a hose-encircling ring having a wedge for engagement with the link.

l0. In apparatus of the class described, an automatically-opened valve, a link serving a hose-encircling ring having a wedge for engaging the link, and a yieldable support Jfor said ring.

ll. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an automatically-opened valve, of a link serving normally to hold the valve in closed position, a ring encircling the hose, and link, and means serving to prevent engagement of the ring with the link.

l2. In apparatus ofthe class described, the combination with a valve-casing having a post, the outer edge of which is curved transversely, the upper portion of the post being provided with a recess, a hose-encircling ring iitting within the recess and provided with a horizontal bar forming a hose-support, the upper portion `of the ring being provided with a wedge-shaped flange, a spring serving to retain the ring within the recess, a spring for opening the valve, a pivotally-inounted lever connected to the stem of the valve, a

link having a transversely-curved recess for the reception of the lower portion of the post, said link extending through the ring and being provided at its upper end with a leverencircling ring, and a screw carried by said lever-encircling ring and bearing .on the le-, 

